BEREA, OHIO -- Senior guard Garrett Etzel scored a game-high 28 points and freshman forward Matt King added 24 more as host Alvernia College defeated sixth-ranked Baldwin-Wallace College, 71-62, today (Saturday, November 18, 2006) to win the season-opening Sheraton-Reading Tipoff Tournament in Reading, Pennsylvania. With the loss, the Yellow Jackets fall to 1-1 overall after beating Curry (Mass.) College, 110-70, on the opening night of the tourney.
Despite the loss for B-W, sophomore forward Andrew Bene (Hinckley/Media Highland) scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and senior All-American forward Tori Davis (Elyria/Open Door Christian School) had 14 points and nine rebounds. A cold shooting afternoon did in the Jackets' as they were 20-of-52 for 38.5 percent overall, including just three-of-18 from three-point range, and 17 turnovers didn't help either.
In the first half, the Yellow Jackets built an early lead of 12-6 with 16:22 left in the first half when freshman guard Tom Jesko (Salem/Senior) canned one of the three triples on the day. But Alvernia came back to outscore B-W 21-4 to take its biggest lead of the first stanza at 12 points at 27-15 with 6:02 left before intermission when senior guard Ryan Finger scored on a layup. Alvernia also led at halftime, 34-27.
In the second half, B-W cut into Alvernia's lead and got it as low as four points on two separate occassions with the last time being at 51-47 with 8:38 remaining in the game when sophomore guard Dennis Santiago (Brook Park/Midpark) made a jumper. Undaunted, the Crusaders then outscored B-W 20-15 down the stretch to improve to 2-0 ths season.
For his efforts in the two days, Bene received all-tournament team accolades.
The B-W men will next play on Tuesday, Nov. 21 when it hosts traditional and nonleague rival Oberlin College at 8:00 p.m. in the nightcap of a women's and men's doubleheader on Obie Bender Night in the Lou Higgins Center in Berea. The ninth-ranked B-W women host Cleveland cross-town rival Case in the first game at 6:00 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. To contact Head Coach Steve Bankson, please call him in the office at 440-826-2039 or you can reach him via e-mail at sbankson@bw.edu.
Baldwin-Wallace College versus Alvernia (Pa.) College
11/18/06; 3:10 p.m. at Reading, Pa. - Physical Education Center
Championship Game of the Alvernia College Tipoff Tournament
FINAL SCORE: ALVERNIA (PA.) 71, BALDWIN-WALLACE 62
BALDWIN-WALLACE (1-1 overall): Bene 7-11 4-5 18; Davis 4-8 6-11 14; Santiago 3-9 3-5 9; Jesko 3-11 1-2 9; Schuler 1-7 5-6 7; Sekerak 1-3 0-0 3; Mong 1-1 0-2 2; Tumblin 0-2 0-0 0; Moderick 0-0 0-0 0; Totals: 20-52 19-31 62.
ALVERNIA (PA.) (2-0 overall): Etzel 12-23 1-1 28; King 9-18 3-5 24; Westmoreland 0-2 6-6 6; Finger 2-3 1-2 5; 2-4 0-0 4; Shawell 1-3 1-2 3; Bradley 0-5 1-2 1; Rivera 0-1 0-0 0; Roane 0-0 0-0 0; Hughes 0-0 0-0 0; Totals: 26-59 13-18 71.
Scoring By Halves:
Baldwin-Wallace............... 27 35 - 62
Alvernia (Pa.)................ 34 37 - 71
3-point goals: Baldwin-Wallace: 3-18 (Jesko 2-7; Sekerak 1-2; Santiago 0-3; Schuler 0-4; Tumblin 0-2); Alvernia: 6-17 (Etzel 3-8; King 3-6; Armstrong 0-1; Shawell 0-1; Westmoreland 0-1); Fouled out: B-W: Schuler; Alvernia: None. Rebounds: Baldwin-Wallace: 41 (Bene 14); Alvernia: 35 (Finger 8; King 8); Assists: B-W: 8 (Santiago 4; Schuler 4); Alvernia: 14 (Finger 6); Total Fouls: B-W: 22; Alvernia: 24; Technical Fouls: B-W: None; Alvernia: None; Attendance: 361
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